The Research Center of Chinese Opera of the Renmin University of China celebrated its 5th anniversary on Sunday.

The center, founded on Oct 25, 2007, aims to promote traditional Chinese opera and to boost academic research in the field.

According to the center's executive director Sun Ping, who is a famous Peking Opera performer, the center has started teaching academic research methods in opera to postgraduate students, recording valuable video and audio materials of famous opera performers, and also making constructive suggestions to promote Chinese opera in the country and abroad.

The occasion also marked the 100th birth anniversary of the late Peking Opera performer Ye Shengzhang.

Ye, who died in 1966, was honored as a People's Artist and the greatest performer in the role of chou, which is one of the four main roles in Peking Opera.

The commemoration of Ye's life continued with an academic forum on Sunday afternoon and an exhibition about Ye's life, his achievements and the history of the Fuliancheng Club, a famous opera club where Ye performed.